Nightshade hungers to bring the strong and beautiful to their knees beneath the ecstasy of his bite, but he has never known sexual lust—not until he meets Ruby McDonald, the curvy redhead who wields attitude and strength like an ax, and who would be the perfect mother of his children. Caught in a clash between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, he vows not only her survival but also to win her heart.

A MORTAL WITH A SECRET

Plagued by magic inherited from a father she never knew, Ruby wants answers. Nightshade has them. And when he crashes into her bedroom late one night, the fairy’s silvery eyes, dark intensity, and striking black wings tempt her with a whole lot more: a mysterious world waiting to be explored, a dangerous love that binds her in body, mind, and spirit…and the children she thought she could never have. Ahead looms a choice between freedom and a power some would kill to possess. Should she deny her desires, or succumb to the seduction of… THE RUBY KISS

What a fantastic world full of nightstalkers, fairies, piskies, leprechauns, demons, a dragon, demigods, Norse myth gods, shape-shifters, and elemental hunters—all of whom seem to be able to mate with humans to create even more unique beings. Theirs is a world full of conflict, magic, and malicious mischief.

Ruby, an artist who considers herself a misfit, calls the power she inherited from her supernatural father an affliction and longs to be rid of it. With her spiky hair, well-developed curvy figure, nose stud, and messy, restless ways, she does not feel sexy at all. With her affliction she is sure no man would be interested in her. She blames her father Kade, a Seelie Court supernatural hunter for her miserable childhood and her frustrated adult life. She is certainly in no humor to be visited by another supernatural being. Consequently, when Nightshade, a nightstalker fairy, crash lands in her bedroom, she is royally ticked off.

Nightshade, a savagely beautiful, muscular, silver-eyed man with wings emits a vibrant male energy. Heretofore, he has enjoyed relationships with men especially the splendidly attired, supernatural Troy, the Deathless, but the sight of Ruby in her ridiculous night attire and flushed with a fierce temper, makes Nightsade want to mate—not just blood-bond. The new feeling frustrates him when Ruby proves to be reluctant. In this world, women want to mate to have babies.

What a treacherous trail these two must travel before the tangled struggles for power, wealth, and personal interests of others can be unraveled so they can work through their own differences in order to reach for their happy-ever-after.

Helen Scott Taylor creates a spellbinding world full of amazing characters that impact the lives of Nightshade and Ruby. Devin, a demon friend of Nightshade’s, is the master of Darkling Road and helps them to a place where both can find their fathers. Aila, the Bride of Light, helps Ruby learn the basics about using and controlling her powers. But many of the other characters do everything in their power to thwart them. Twister, king of the Unseelie Court, wants Ruby for his queen, not just for herself but for what he thinks her powers can do for him and his cursed father. Kade, Ruby’s father wants her to come with him and use her powers so the two of them can rule the world. Dragon, Nightshade’s father wants to keep rights to a child he does not care about but knows he can use for his own gain after the child reaches puberty. So many others press in on the hero and heroine. The scary places they much get through on their journey make the heart race. No dull moments in their lives. In Cornwall, where life is very different, Ana and Cordelia help Ruby understand herself better and Nightshade heals with his own people who all live privileged human lives.

Ms. Taylor packs so much more in this captivating novel. The Ruby Kiss is a riveting tale and has an allegorical quality to it that fascinates. It engages all the senses and touches deep emotions, but it also had a delightful humor at times and an undercurrent of unique kinds of love among the supernaturals. Intriguing! Don’t miss The Ruby Kiss—it's not what you would expect.

RATING EXPLANATION:

1 Star— At this time, we at LASR do not post these reviews. If the book was boring, badly edited, poorly written, had little or no plot, stilted dialogue, and/or unsympathetic characters, we will decline the review.

2 Stars— Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you'd re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library - not buy - and never check out again.

3 Stars— Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn't consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There's a chance you'll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn't go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars— Very Good. You're glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars— Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book - For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you're not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise - and reserved for only a few.

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